Thursday, March 29, 2012

The Chief of Staff of the Army calls us
professionals. This profession at arms
is, to us, merely what we do, but we are more than warriors, and certainly more
than what we seem to be. The average
Soldier today is more educated, better trained, and more physically fit than
any civilian in a similar field.

The
best way to maintain that advantage is to mentor, evaluate, train, educate, and
lead our troops in a more professional manner than our civilian “professional”
counterparts. As leaders, telling our
Soldiers to take advantage of our benefits and educational assistance, giving
them “off-the-shelf” training, and arranging unit PT (Physical Training)
programs, does not do justice to our Soldiers, nor does it exemplify our
ideals.

Ask yourself a few questions as a leader:

1. Do I truly know the Army Values? What do they mean? Do I live by them daily? Can my Soldiers and leaders see my true
self? Do I set a good example?

2. Do I know the Soldier’s Creed? Does it mean anything to me? Am I the “Soldier” mentioned in the creed?

3. Is my career most important, or is my career a product
of the Soldiers and leaders around me?

4. Do my Soldiers truly profit from my leadership? Who does?
What do they see in me?

5. Do I tell my bosses and my subordinates what I truly
think? Is my opinion valuable?

6. Am I growing in the service? Am I worthy of all of those who have gone
before?

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Major Gen. Jim Butterworth, Georgia's Adjutant General, talks about what it means to serve in the Georgia National Guard. He also gives his take on the National Guard motto: "Always Ready, Always There."

Friday, March 9, 2012

When considering the tactical lessons of Civil War battles, through staff rides or just when reading after action reports, it is helpful to keep in mind the relative capacities and limitations of the time's weaponry. Even just knowing the range of these weapons can offer incredible insight as to why some commanders made the tactical decisions they did.